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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cue — a signal
  4. key — for a lock
  5. net — for catching
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. row — a line
  9. rush — hurry
  10. net — in sport
  11. key — in music
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cue — a hint
  14. dip — to sink
  15. net — after costs
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cue — for pool
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. snap — to click
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com